Abstract
Digenetic trematode infections including schistosomiasis and fascioliasis have highly neglected statuses but are a menace to people in the poorest countries of the tropics, causing high morbidity and mortality in humans as well as great global losses in livestock production. This has neccesitated the widespread search for better control options for the snail vectors of these diseases. Hence, a novel drug - curcumin and nisin poly lactic acid (PLA) entrapped nanoparticles (CurNisNp) was screened for molluscicidal activity against the adults (> 2 months old) of Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bulinus globosus and Lymnaea natalensis vector snails. Mortality was determined after 96-h of exposure at varying concentrations. The snails of the species L. natalensis were found to be the most susceptible to the molluscicide (LC50 323.6 ppm). This finding further supports the desirability of curcumin-nisin polylactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles as a molluscicide and therefore shows that it could be a good alternative to conventional molluscicides with prospects in the selective control of fascioliasis. However, more optimization of the drug could ensure a greater molluscicidal potency.